A HYBE employee was recently found to have used a body camera while inspecting the former living quarters of K-pop group NewJeans.
On November 28, 2024, NewJeans announced at an emergency press conference that they would be terminating their exclusive contract with ADOR, effective midnight on November 29. The group stated that HYBE and ADOR were at fault, and therefore, they would not be taking legal action or paying penalties.
However, the label responded by filing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract with NewJeans in December 2024.
More recently, controversy is brewing over a HYBE employee’s secret monitoring of NewJeans’ old dorm using a body camera.
Following their Japan schedule in early December 2024, NewJeans vacated ADOR-provided accommodation but continued to collaborate with the agency until their contract was fulfilled. They
For any necessary meetings at ADOR, the members commuted individually and returned home separately after completing their schedules.
It was recently uncovered that a HYBE employee had installed a body camera to inspect the accommodation NewJeans had vacated.
HYBE and Min Hee Jin’s feud began in April last year after an audit report revealed that she was planning to take over and make ADOR a separate entity.
Since the feud began, many events have unfolded, including leaked chats and accusations and defenses from both sides. In the end, Min Hee Jin was dismissed from her role as CEO of ADOR in August 2024.
While NewJeans did not take any sides in the beginning, they eventually showed their support for CEO Min Hee Jin. They held a YouTube livestream in September 2024 and gave HYBE management an ultimatum to reinstate Min.
While their demands were not met, they sent a certified letter to ADOR again in November last year, stating their demands and giving a 14-day deadline. After the deadline ended, NewJeans held a press conference and announced their departure from ADOR.
In the latest development, the agency has filed an injunction to prevent the group from signing any advertising contracts independently.
In other news, NewJeans concluded their scheduled activities with ADOR on January 4, with their appearance at the 39th Golden Disc Awards in Japan.